(Photo and story by Anita Fernandez)

It’s a Four-toothed Mason Wasp… Yeesh! This wasp doesn’t actually have four teeth; it was named after the white mark on its abdomen, which supposedly resembles teeth. This species is a member of the Potter Wasp family, a group of wasps that are both solitary and wood-loving. Females will often nest in holes drilled by carpenter bees and are one of few wasp species that will utilize man-made “bee hotels.” They may resemble the aggressive and social species like paper wasps (sometimes called hornets), but these wasps feed on flowers as adults and aid in pollination. The females do attack and paralyze caterpillars to feed their young but will most likely leave you alone if you return the favor. This individual pictured is a male, indicated by a small white patch on his head between the two eyes (unlike females that have completely black heads.) Take a look at the patch of Mountain Mint just to the right of the trailhead at Silk Farm Sanctuary to see these and many other species mid-summer.